I thought you all might like to meet a couple of the members of my family and learn their real names.

First up is Opal. My little chihuahua. That is of course obvious but what is not is Opal's gender. He is a boy. Yeah, I know I know, Opal is a sissy girl name for such a macho little guy. There's a story there. Ya wanna hear? Silly question, of course you do!

First off, my cousin has a chihuahua and then decided to get another one. Neither dog was altered and before too long a pregnancy ensued. Bella, the momma dog(I threw that in special like for my Southern readers)was safely delivered of six(6) puppies! Now that is a large litter for most breeds, and even more so for a tiny little chihuahua! My mom decided she was going to get one of these little squirmers for herself and- knowing how I had always wanted a chi- put dibs on one for me. Since my puppy was a freebie, my only request was to get one of the bigger puppies since I have kids at home. The day came for my mom to pick up her puppy and she was very excited with her little guy-who is dark brown and now named Pickles. She called to tell me all about him and of course I asked her which puppy I would be getting. She described to me in glowing terms the little cream colored girl whom I would be getting. I immediately went out and purchased a pink collar and a girly bed and blanket and after much deliberation, picked out the name Opal. Very fitting since she would be arriving sometime around my birthday.

I was so thrilled the day I got the call that my puppy was at my cousin's cabin in the woods and would be ready for pick-up the next day! I drove with bated breath (and a sleeping baby) the entire 30 minutes it took to get there, pulled up and (leaving the car running for said sleeping baby)jumped out to retrieve my new precious darling! Oh, words cannot capture the anticipation and joy I was practically shaking with as I strode to the front door and knocked.

It wasn't my cousin that answered the door, rather one of his brothers-in-law who had come up with his family for a little vacation. As he and his children regaled me with the joys of driving eight hours with a crying puppy , followed by tales of how hard it was to sleep the previous night with said puppy still crying all I could think about was getting my hands on my new little girl.

One of the kids was sent to retrieve the precious little darling that they were by now ready to get rid of.

Imagine my surprise when I was handed a squirming bundle of fur that not only was not cream but came with a penis? What to do? Who to ask? I couldn't grill this person I had never seen before. He had the puppy he had been given. There was no other puppy with him. He was merely the delivery system for the WRONG DOG! I had a baby sleeping in the car that I had left running and therefor no time to figure out what was going on!

Having no other choice I took the little yellow fuzzball, put the pink collar on him and put him in the front seat, then took off for home. I needed to call my mom and find out how she had missed the admittedly tiny pecker on this guys cute little tummy and gotten his color completely wrong! I mean, we had several dogs during my childhood and she had been an assistant vet tech and dog groomer for pity's sake! Seriously! What had happened?

Aren't you curious too?

My mom had picked up her little guy and there were only two puppies left. One that a woman had picked out and paid for as a newborn and the last, leftover puppy that would be mine. This woman arrived to pick up her puppy and realized that she actually wanted the other one. Well, seeing as how she had actually paid for a puppy and I hadn't, she went home with the puppy she now wanted. The sweet tiny cream colored girl. Which left the not quite so tiny yellow boy. Who then found his way to the cold mountains of North Carolina.

Generally not one to look a gift horse(or dog for that matter)in the mouth-and having fallen in love with the little bugger on top of it all-I resolved to keep him and love him and squeeze him and (after some thought) NOT to call him George.

I decided to keep the pink collar, the girly pillows and the girly name. I mean, why not? He's a dog and could probably care less.

So that is the beginning of Opal's tale.

It's a good story and...I LOVE THOSE!